Puncher 75 Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 (edited) Ok today armed with the Tamiya tape I decided to rip into the kit and just see how it stacked up. Well the good news is the parts fit is really good! The glass fits nicely and I am really impressed by the fit and there will be no steps where they join to the fuselage etc. If you do create a slight step they all join on a frame line so you should be able to sand it lightly. Rivet detail is very fine and some rivets mainly around the tail booms will disappear if you lay on a thick coat of paint. I also think some panel lines around the tail booms will need to be enhanced more but you will probably have to do this anyway after sanding the join lines etc. The panel lines in general are very finely done and look very nice. The inside of the fuselage depicts stringers and formers in the rear section. What I do like is the pilot’s side windows are molded open as is the gunner’s small window on the left side. Individual windows are included so you can depict them open or closed. I was impressed by the fit of the parts and you can see in the photos is the parts have not had there sprue stubs cleaned up properly. The flying surfaces are depicted better than the HK B-25. Flaps, Rudders, and Ailerons are all separate but they really cannot be posed any other way except neutral without a little amount of work, nothing too difficult just a little sanding etc. Detail is crisp and the plastic is easy to work with and not as hard as Hasegawa plastic. The booms fit well to the wings and the join lines are excellent! Be careful and I think you will not require anything other than glue.The wing to boom fit is the same also. A couple of things to watch out for: The wings are a multiple affair and the reinforcing bar they provide in plastic protrudes from the wing as a stub mounting point to the fuselage. I will be using some brass rod to reinforce the joints and run it through the fuselage into the other wing as I worry that they mounting stubs will not provide enough strength to withstand the weight. They would be fine for a 1/48 scale kit but not this big guy. I would also join the two upper wing sections where they meet just outside of the boom together first so you can get a very good join line and no sanding will be required if you take your time. You can then assemble the rest of the wing as normal. The panels on top of the wings behind the cowl flaps fit really nice and in the photos they are just sitting there. They do fit really tight. A few nick picks: Hobby Boss have done the same as they did in their 1/48 scale kit. The have provided us the P-61A nose as we discussed previously in the forums. I hope some aftermarket company will give us a correct P-61B nose. The wing spoilers are depicted up and will need some work to mount them closed. I will fill in the recessed sections on the wings and rescribe. I think this will be the easiest route to take. Interesting they give you the complete intake ducting for the wings but forgot to provide the engine exhaust stubs in the kit. The exhausts end at the collector ring, strange! The tires I can live without and will wait for aftermarket resin tires. I do hope G Factor provide us with some nice brass slanging struts as they did for the B-25. Overall I really like the kit and I have ordered another as I will build a P-61A and a P-61B version after actually seeing the kit in the flesh. Any questions just ask me. Sorry for the photos as I only had my old small camera with me in the Den.I just wanted to give you all some idea of size compared to the HK B-25. If you have a passing interest in the P-61 then you will like this kit. Tomorrow I will begin on the engine assemblies as everything else on the bench has been put in the hangar. I really want to begin building. I will then proceed onto the wings and tail booms etc while I wait for the aftermarket stuff to hit the streets for the cockpits etc. Ken Edited March 26, 2013 by LSP_Kevin Uncarina and Saber 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantom Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Thanks for the update. I can't wait to get mine. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Very nice Ken - Thank you for sharing your initial thoughts and images with us all Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzcreations Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 hey thanks for sharing those. Curious you mention the landing gear wish from GFactor..knowing the kit comes with metal gear, how does it look? reasons for needing them replaced? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 (edited) Ken, As a follow-on from Tim's post, could you check the assembly of the nose gear leg to the fuselage please? The reason I ask is that photographs of both the Trumpeter and HB demo models have the leg angled/raked backwards towards the rear of the fuselage rather than forwards as per the full size example - I just want to be certain that they have got this aspect right in the production kit and that it is no more than an assembly error? Thanks Derek Edited March 26, 2013 by Derek B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Mike Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Thank you for the great pics! A good idea showing the P-61 with the B-25, which gives a good impression of size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cees Broere Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 If anyone should volunteer to provide a thread for MBB's work in progress, i would gladly Open such a thread. He has waited long enough to finally start his Magnum Opus. Applause!!!!! Come on, you can do it, don't be shy. Cees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puncher 75 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 Ken, As a follow-on from Tim's post, could you check the assembly of the nose gear leg to the fuselage please? The reason I ask is that photographs of both the Trumpeter and HB demo models have the leg angled/raked backwards towards the rear of the fuselage rather than forwards as per the full size example - I just want to be certain that they have got this aspect right in the production kit and that it is no more than an assembly error? Thanks Derek Hi Derek, Sure I can do that. Just give me a day or so and I will take a look at it for you. It also concerns me after seeing the test shot built. Cheers, Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puncher 75 Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 hey thanks for sharing those. Curious you mention the landing gear wish from GFactor..knowing the kit comes with metal gear, how does it look? reasons for needing them replaced? I think the landing gear struts etc look ok but I would just prefer they be cast in brass and not plastic with a metal core so to speak. Just my preference. Cheers, Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Nice work Ken! I've just edited your post so the images display inline. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kagemusha Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 (edited) Thanks for sharing Ken, looks to be a great kit. Nice one Kev for sorting the pics. Any chance of a pic of the nose to compare to the GWH 1/48 A & B http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntizumi/6326094111/ Edited March 26, 2013 by Kagemusha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Ken Thanks so much for the box review. The kit certainly is all I hoped for and looks tremendous. Appreciate the tip about using brass tubing for the wing reinforcing bar. Looking forward to following your build of the Widow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puncher 75 Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Thanks for sharing Ken, looks to be a great kit. Nice one Kev for sorting the pics. Any chance of a pic of the nose to compare to the GWH 1/48 A & B http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntizumi/6326094111/ Yea sure I can do that. I will post it later today for you, Cheers, Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puncher 75 Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 (edited) Derek here are a couple of photos for you. As you can see the nose gear strut is ok and in the photo forward is to the right. The nose wheel is steerable and the top mounting section of the strut looks really nice. Unfortunately the oleo is somewhat too small in diameter. I can live with that and the best idea is to fit a small piece of polished tubing over this section into place and then fit the two outer parts of the upper nose gear strut to trap it in. I would glue it to the upper part of the strut to strengthen it and use the metal inner section so it doesn't break. I have also posted a photo of the radome .Inside the Radome is a small lip that the radar bulkhead attaches to the nose. You can see this in the photo against the black background. I hope this puts your mind at rest that the nose strut is angled correctly. The main Gear looks ok also. Tomorrow I will start an In progress thread and begin on the engines. Cheers Ken Edited March 27, 2013 by Puncher 75 Iain, Derek B and Saber 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Ken Thanks for the photos and comments on the gear. Totally agree could be a bit beefier and over time, might be a problem. Hopefully your idea will be the way to go or maybe a nice set of AM legs will be available soon Looking forward to the engines... :popcorn: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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